Dyeing apparatus



July 27, 1937. E. CLARK 2,088,465

DYEING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

WKW;

ATTORNEY.

July 27, 1937. E. CLARK .DYEING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June22, 1933 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT] OFFICE DYEING APPARATUS Ernest Clark, Abington,Mass.,

assignor to Abington Textile Machinery Works, Boston, Mass., a. trust ofMassachusetts Application June 22, 1933, Serial No. 676,990

6 Claims.

This invention relates to beam, package, and tube dyeing systems on theorder of that shown in United States Patent No. 836,101, L. Dumons, Nov.20, 1906, and has as sion of new and improved devices and combinationsof parts for performing in improved and simplified manner the necessarysteps .in dyeing textile fibers when wound as roving or as yarn on theabove named carriers.

Leading objects of the invention are to provide as far as possible acoordinated and mechanically interlocked arrangement of theflow-controlling valves and their controls so as not only to make easierthe manipulation of the many valves in--- volved, but particularly tofacilitate or compel their operation in the proper order and. timing andfrom one central operating post, to remove the risk of injury to thestock, and waste of material, always involved in prior systems andresulting from a momentary slip of the operator in failing to work eachvalve at the proper time and in proper order.

Other objects include the provision of means for oxidizing the dye inthe textile material while the dye liquor is in process of beingcirculated through the system, and for performing a preliminary moistureexpelling operation on the material while. still in the kier. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide for washing the material while inthe kier, with a running wash in which fresh water is presented to thematerial and thereafter-discharged immediately into the waste pipe,without remaining in or returning into contact with the material asheretofore necessitated. Other objects are as will be indicatedhereinafter.--

To these ends, the invention provides. dyeing apparatus in which adyeing tank or kier and a pump are connected with sources of supply ofwhich directs the flow from the pump either from the outside of thewound masses occupying the tank or kier inwardly of such masses, or inthe reverse direction, suchvalve also having a supply-port for theintroducio'n of at least one and preferably allof the aforesaid threefluids. As illustrated, also, the valve has a part formed on it orcombined with it which opens or closes the waste or drain pipe .torelease any fluid passing through the valve into such waste pipe ifdesired. In the preferred arrangement, compressed air is introduced intothe circulating liquor, so that the oxidizing oi. the dye can in myinvention proceed continuously throughout the process. The air itsobject the prcvi-' V enough to rupture the yarns.

pressure on the wound masses, when applied in the direction to flow fromthe inside of the wound masses outwardly, which might burst them, isbalanced during circulation of the mixture of air and dye liquor byhydraulic and air pressure on the outside of the packages to an extentpreventing the building up of pressure differences great The systemprovides for passing air alone through the wound masses to extract thegreater part of the moisture following the dyeing operation while thestock is still in the kier, and to prevent bursting of the wound massesunder this condition when not protected by hydraulic pressure the airinlet is put on the suction side of the pump, and the drain-port, sothat if the drain is open, no material amount of air-pressure can be puton the inside of the wound stock, because the air merelypassed down thedrain; while if the drain-valve be closed, there is no other escape fromthe system and a static condition is created, with equal pressure atboth inside and outside of the wound stock, the air passing through thepump whether running or at rest to effect this equalization. The mannerof attaining other aimsof the invention will appear as hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,-

Fig. 1"is an elevation system or machine. Y

Fig. 2 is a plan view of certain of the parts of Fig. 1-. I V I Fig. 3is an elevation of the main and certain auxiliary valves of Figs 1 and2, together with of the complete dyeing their connections, on anenlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the main valve and itscontrols.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rotor of the valve.

Figs. 6 and 7 are horizontal sections of the rotor on lines 6--6 and l1,respectively,'of Fig.

5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8. is a plan view of the rotor and its rotation-limiting pin.

Fig. 915 a more or less diagrammatic 'represen tationof the variousdirections of flow in the system.

The improved dyeing system or machine hasthe usual devices essential tothe performance of the operation known in the art as beam dyeing,including a pair of kiers I with tight covers 3, to receive thestock tobe dyed, a mixing tank 5, a

valve 21 being provided in the connection to one of the kiers, (or toall but one of the kiers, in case more than two are provided) torenderunneeded kiers inoperative. Portl5, near the bottom of thevalve-casing i1, is connected by similar piping 29, 3|, 39, with thebottom of the kier, a similar hand-operated shut-off valve or valves 95being provided. It is to beunderstood that as usual in these systems theconnection -or pipe, made up of the portions 29, 3|, 33, which entersthe kier axially at the bottom discharges into the interior of the beam,packages, or tubes, or alternately vents fluids from the said interiorof the beams, packages or tubes, and hence delivers the neces saryfluids to the kier when the direction of flow is from the interior ofthese wound masses outwardly through the fibers composing them, andhence is termed the insideout pipe. Similarly, the pipe or connectionbetween the port l3 and the side of the kier, made up of portions l9,2|, 29, 25, discharges into or vents from the space within the kiersurrounding the wound masses, and hence delivers fluids to the kier whenthe direction of flow is from the outside of such wound masses inwardlyto the interior of their porous or hollow carriers, and hence istermedthe outside-in pipe.

Port 31 in the valve-casing I1 is connected by pipe 39 with the mixingtank 5, to permit the contents of'the latter to be let into the system.Pipe 4| entering the pipe 39 is in communication with a water supplythrough the pipe 43, a checkvalve 45 inserted in the pipe 39 preventingthe water from flowing upward into the mixing tank 5,- while the feedwater to the tank is supplied through pipe 41 under control ofhand-valve 49. A valve 5| operated by a stem 53 and a'handwheel 55located above theoperators platform or floor 51, controls the admissionof water from the main 4: through pipes II- and 39 into the valve II toaccomplish the running wash.

A pipe 59 from a source of gas, preferably com-- pressed air, alsocommunicates with the pipe 39 attached to port 31, the flow of the airbeing controlled by valve 5| having its stem 68 also extended above thefloor51 and equipped with a hand-wheel. A check-valve 65 provided inpipe 59 prevents the dye liquor or the water used in the running washfrom backing up into the compressed air line or tank in case both valves5| and SI are open simultaneously and the air pressure happens to below.

Thus it will be seen that port 31 by means of pipe 99 supplies theinterior of valve II with dye liquor, water, or compressed airselectively or simultaneously at option.

At opposite sides of the casing l1, midway of the height ofthe latter,and 90 away from the port 31 in each direction, there are provided ports61, 69, connected respectively to the suction side of the pump 1 by pipe69 and to the discharge side of the pump by pipe 1|, a gate valve 13being located in the latter pipe and controlled from the floor above byshaft 15 and an appropriate hand-wheel.

To the port 11, located in the casing |1 midway between the outside-inport l3- and the insideof the pump and serves as a by-pass which throughits,adjustable relief-valve 9|, equipped with sprocket and chain control02, 94, from the operators platform, controls the maximum fluid pressureallowed to be developed within the kier, thus preventing bursting of thewound masses therein, and regulating the working 1 pressure within thesystem as needed. From its particular location, the relief valverelieves excess pressure in either direction of dyeing, and. hence asingle-acting relief valve serves. A strainer, made easily removable forclearing it, is located across pipe 69 at 10, on the pump side of thebypass pipe 19.

The bottom of the valve casing I1 is closed-by a head 83 bolted tightlyto the casing, having a port 85 formed as a valve-seat and surrounded bya flange or other means for coupling to a drain-pipe 81, the drain-pipebeing adapted to support the weight of the valve ii and its attachedpiping, valves, and other associated parts,-

as by means of the foot 89 on the elbow 9|, which foot rests on thefloor or abutment 92.

- The movable valve member or rotor of the ward extremity of the V willjust come into full communication with the outside-in port II of thecasing when the rotor is turned At the bottom of the V a branch 99 .ofthe channel is carried, around the circumference of the rotor clockwiseas viewed from above for sufliciently more than 90, as shown in Fig. 6,so that this branch will be simultaneously in communication with theport 61 connected with the suction pipe 69, and with the feed-port 31through which pipe 99 supplies dye liquor,'wash water, and compressedair. Thus when the ports are in the relations of Fig. 4, in which therotor is in the relation shown inFig. 5, both the feed-port 91 and theoutside-in port It are in communication with the suction pipe 69 of thepump.

' The lower half of the rotor is provided with a similar but invertedV-shaped channel I00 (see Fig. 5) having at its apex a communicatingcirjust enough more than 90 around the circuit of the rotor to besimultaneously in communication with the port 68 into which the pumpdischarges by means of pipe 1|, and also with port 11 of the by-pass 19,so that the discharge from the pump cumferential channel I02 extendingclockwise for will be directed downwardly through the lefthand branch ofthe V and out through-the insideout port l5 when the rotor is in theposition shown in Fig. 4, and a portion of the flow diverted through theby-pass 19 if necessary in order to reduce the pressure on the goods inthe kier.

It is to be noted that the extremities of the inverted V-channel I00pass vertically downward through the bottom end of the rotor atdiametrically-opposite points as indicated by the lines fixed in the capI08 bolted to and closingthe top of the valve-casing II, the stop-pinbringing up against the ends of a groove I I0 cut in the top face of therotor 95 for the proper portion of the latters circuit. The stop andgroove permit the rotor to move a half turn clockwise from the positionshown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the discharge pipe II from the pump andits port 69 are put in communication through the other branch of theupper V-channel 91 with the outside-in port I3, to efiect the reversalof the flow of the dye liquor discharged by the pump. The feed-port 31is cut off from communication with this upper V-channel, and the by-passport is put into communication with its circumferential branch 99, sothat the safety pressure-controlling feature is still efiective. By thismove, the suction pipe 69 and its port 61 are put in communicationthrough inverted V-channel- I00 with the bottom inside-out port I5, andthe feedport 31 likewise in communication with thesuction side of thepump through the circumferential branch I02 of the channel, so that dyeliquor from the mixing tank 5 or water from the mains are properly drawnin to fill the system and keep it full in either position of the valveand in either direction of dyeing.

v The rotor 95 is supported within the valve casing by a web II2 havingpassages I I4 registering with the extremities of inverted V-groove I00which extend through the bottom face of the rotor, when the rotor is ineither extreme position permitted by the stop I06. Thus the invertedV-channel I00 is in communication at both its extremities through thepassages I I4 and the communicating space H6 with the port 85 ventinginto the drain 81. This port 85 is adapt- 0 ed to be closed by acooperating valve member I I8 fixed by nuts I20 on the bottom end of astem I22 passing. through an axial bore I24 in the rotor 9, and inscrew-threaded engagement with ahole formed for it in the web 2, so thatrotation of the stem by means of the hand-wheel I26 'fixed on itsuppenend abovethe floor 51 serves to move the valve-member I8 verticallytoward and from its seat to cut off communication between the system andthe drain, or to effect such communication and empty the fiuid contentsof the system down the drain. The

stem I22 is shouldered above its screw-threaded portion and fitted withpacking material I28 confined between washers 'and compressed by jam'nuts into sealing engagement with the bore I24.

To work the rotor 95, a sleeve I30 surrounding the stem I22 is fittedtightly within the bore I24 and held from rotation by key I32, thesleeve having fixed on its upper extremity a collar I34 from a socket in"which extends a long operating handle I36. A gland I38 in the cap I09and a packing collar, I40 provide for packing the sleeve in the cap.

Steam is provided for heating the fiuid contents of the system by meansof a pipe I42 coupled to a suitable source and connected through athermostatic heat control valve I44 with the discharge pipe II of thepump, a thermostatic plug I46 located in the suctionpipe 69 controllingthe action of this valve in known manner. The diagram of Fig. 9indicates the general directions of fiow' attainable in the actualdyeing operation, the feathered arrows representing the constant fiow toand from the pump I, the solid lighter arrows the inside-out directionof flow from valve II to kier I and back, and the dotted arrows theoutside-in direction between the valve and the kier. Since the fiow toand from the pump through the respective pipes 69 and 1| is always inone direction irrespective of any reversal of the fiow in the kier,namely in the direction of vided in the steam line before thethermostatic' valve I44, to shut off thesteam after the flow, of the dyeliquor has been completed, and has its stem I50 extended upward abovethe floor 51 and equipped with a hand-wheel grouped with the othercontrolspabout a standard I52 surrounding the sleeve I30 of the mainvalve II and the included stem I22 of the drain valve. The standard hasa bracket I54 holding an instrument board I56 containing the respectiveinside-out and outside-in pressure gauges and a gauge recording thetemperature within the kier.

The usual expansion or vent pipe I58 is provided from the top of thekier to the mixing tank, equipped with hand-valve I60. I

With the improved organization described, the ordinary performance offilling the system with water or with dye liquor can be effected throughfilling the mixingtank 5 by means of the handvalve 49, or-the system canbe filled with water alone, by introducing water directly into the pip--is carried out to effect the dyeing of the stock,

the dye liquor being brought to the proper concentration throughadditions of the dye to the mixing tank, with observation of theabsorption of the dye through the discharge from the vent pipe I59 withhand-valveI60 open, and the appropriate periodic reversal of thedirection of flow through the stock accomplished by rotation of therotor of valve II. It is to be noted that oxidizing air can becontinuously put through the stock along with the dye liquor, so thatthe oxidation forms a concurrent part of the actual dyeing operation,with known improved results, and is no longer a separate and"time-consuming step, the air being allowed to escape freely andcontinuously from the vent-pipe I58 when and as it frees itself from theemulsion. The usual oxidation'following draining-off of the dye-liquoris performed where indicated.

-At the completion of this simultaneous dyeing and oxidizing process;the pumpand the flow of air are both shut off, hand-valve I60 in thevent pipe shut, and the drain valve at the bottom of valve II is openedby lifting valve-.member IIO from its seat 85 through manipulation ofhand wheel I26, thereby permitting the entire contents of the system toescape down the drain 81, whence it may be either wasted or removed to asuitable' yea" tending up above the platform 51 to the operatorscentral, control station, the main valve II is rotated to outside-inrelation as in Fig. 4, and wash water is admitted from the mains through5 pipes 39, 4|; and 43 upon opening valve 5| by means of its hand-wheel55. This wash water entering the feed-port 31 of main valve II isprevented by the closing of valve 13 from shortcircuiting through thepump to the drain, and is compelled to travel through the outside-inpipe l9 into the kier to surround the stock therein, entering throughthe fibers of the stock and leaving the kier through the axial port inthe bottom thereof, thence returning through pipe 29 to the valve H,whence it escapes freely through the still open drain valve in thebottom and leaves through drain pipe 81. This makes a continuous andrunning wash, as previously referred to. Not'only is the operation ofthe pump and the power thus consumed obviated, but the washing iseffected wholly with clean water, which I believe myself to be the firstto have accomplished in such a system.

At the completion of the washing operation,

I drain valve H8 is restored to its seat to close valve 6|; it entersthe kier through the outside-in pipe, passing through the stock until astatic condition is reached with all parts of the system filled with airof the full pressure available. Thereupon, drain valve H8 is liftedwidely from its seat, allowing a sudden drop in the pressure between thestock and the drain as a result of the escape of the air down the drain,producing a rush of the remaining air in the system through the stock inthe safe outside-in direction, which blows out of the stock and downthrough the axial port of the kier the greater part of the moistureremaining therein after the washing. Thus there is performed in the kieritself a moisture-extracting operation preliminary to the actual dryingoperations which must follow, having the eifect of greatly shorteningthe period needed for this subsequent operation. I

As to the safety features of the invention,

among other such features already indicated, if I the operator fails toclose valve 13 at any time wise injured. If though closing valve 13properly he fails to open the drain previous to turning on the water orair, no bursting or other harm can result because there is no vent tothe system and any harmful inside-out pressure is balanced by an equaland opposed outside-in pressure. If hand valve I60 be wrongly left open,the rush of air is instantly audible. If the main valve ll be wronglyset for inside-out direction of the fluids, with the drain valve open,these fluids aremerely wasted down, the drain, and with the drain valveclosed the same static] relation at both inside and outside surfaces ofthe stock is attained, before any harmful pressure whatever can be builtup between the inside and the outside of the stock, since the systembeyond outside of the stock is closed.

within the valve casing.

2. In dyeing apparatus, in combination, a kier, a pump, intermediatecirculation conduits, a reversing valve reversing the direction of flowthrough the kier, and a relief valveregulating" the maximum pressure ofthe flow from the pump before leaving the reversing valve.

3. In dyeing apparatus, in combination, sources of supply of dye liquor,of washing liquid, and of a gas, a dyeing tank, a pump,

intermediate conduits joining all these elements, and a valve having asingle moving part in the conduits and in conjunction therewithdirecting the flow fromthe pump optionally from the outside of the stockoccupying the tank inwardly of such stock and also in the reversedirection,

the valve also having in addition to its circulating ports a. supplyport for the introduction of at least one of the aforesaid three fluids,and a by-pass acting to prevent excessive pressures within the apparatusthrough putting the discharge side of the pump directly in communicationwith the suction side thereof, before the discharge flow from the pumpleaves the valve.

4. In dyeing apparatus, in

liquid, and of a gas, a dyeing tank, a pump, intermediate conduitsjoining all these elements, and ayalve in the conduits and inconjunction therewith directing the flow from the pump optionally fromthe outside of the stock occupying the tank inwardly of such stock andalso in thereverse direction, the valve also having in addition to itscirculating ports a supply port for the introduction' of at least one ofthe aforesaid three fluids, and a drain port in the valve emptying theapparatus and also opened or closed by said valve.

5. In dyeing apparatus, in combination, sources of supply of dye liquor,of washing liquid, and of a gas, a dyeing tank, a pump, a pump ypass, adrain, intermediate conduits joining all these elements, and a valvehaving ports t'espectively connected by said conduits to the dischargeside and the suction side of the pump, to axil and radial connections tothe tank, to the drain, to the by-pass, and to at least one of thesaidsources of supply.

having an angularly-movable portion reversing the direction of flow inthe tank while receiving and directing the said fluids always into thesuction side of the pump, af'drain port in the valve.

connected to the drain, the valve having a memcombination, sources ofsupply of dye liquor, of 'washing her-axially movable to empty thecontents of the. 1

